Flow rack picking is common for those distribution operations having a high order line volume. However, the picking throughput and accuracy are limited if the pickers are using hard copy documents to guide them in their selections of the various items. In some cases, such operations have been completely automated. However, in many cases, the product type or the order volume of the operation is not suitable for such complete automation. This is true particularly for broken case picking of varied size and shape goods.
Some semi-automated systems have been proposed and are in use. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,800 issued Sept. 30, 1975 and assigned to the present assignee. That particular system discloses the use of the mobile cart having specific indicators thereon which disclose the quantity as well as the desired item to be picked. The item indication is correlated with a group of compartmented bays where the specific item is located. While this system is an improvement over manual picking, there are still a number of deficiencies which prevent it from being of maximum efficiency.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semi-automatic warehouse picking system that greatly increases picking throughput and accuracy without the large capital investment required for complete mechanical automation.
The present system provides an improved picking method which arises from the use of displays located on the flow rack adjacent to each product. Each display unequivocally tells the picker which items are required and how many of each items are to be picked. In this way, the possibility of transposition or other errors arising from hard copy interpretation are eliminated and the speed is significantly improved.
The present system is also versatile in that it can be adapted to two order filling modes with all pickers filling the same order or each picker filling a different order for his own zone. The use of this system provides that the goods may be placed directly into totes or put on a take away conveyor for down-stream packing.
The objects and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.